To Love You Again
by OMGimprocrastinating
Summary: Basing very heavily on the Chinese Movie "Dream Lovers", featuring Rukawa and Sakuragi as star-crossed lovers.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer__: I literally stole the plot from that old chinese movie 'Dream Lovers'. I'll change the ending a bit. Oh yea, this is written entirely for pleasure, not profit - in case someone reading this has the power to sue me for stealing the plot ^^::_

* * *

_Deep in the ocean, a stone statue lay on the sands covered by seaweed and moss. It managed to avoid most of the corrosion because one could see the distinct lines and curves which were carved out a few thousand years ago onto the stone. Suddenly a strong current started pulling at the stone figure and what had snagged the statue onto the ocean bed let go._

Rukawa Kaede waved his baton, efficiently directing his orchestra to a colourful composition of his art. The piece was a masterful combination of classical and modern music and the effect was strengthened by a play of laser lights that the audience was dazzled by it. He turned his head slightly to the side to let his sharp hearing catch for any mistakes of tones or timing not looking specifically at any group when suddenly his sight was blinded by a vision other than the group of professional musicians playing intently in front of him. It was the vision of a stone figure about to rise up to the surface of the murky ocean. _Slowly the figure drifted up..._

Flashes of this image continued, disturbing his concentration. Fortunately, his practiced hands was able to keep on moving to the familiar beat of the music even as he was trying to comprehend on what was happening to him.

_... cutting through the salt water with ease as it ascended..._

Although the music was loud in his ears, the vision conquered his mind and muddled his senses that he felt like going crazy.

_... rising up from the watery depth... up and up and up..._

Rukawa's movements became frenzied following the faster beat of the music in addition to the vision of the rising stone statue still clouding his mind.

_... and then the statue surged out of the water with a burst of pressure, sending out sprays of salt water and small waves along the ocean's surface.._.

The audience sitting entranced as they listened to the concert was surprised by the sudden shout erupting from the stage. The musicians stopped their play as they watched their conductor who had shouted a few moments ago stand motionless on the stage, his eyes closed and the baton held high. Puzzled murmurs among the musicians and the audience did not prompt any movements from the dark haired man as he remained unmoving. Suddenly, a woman from the audience jumped up from her seat and ran quickly onto the stage, the echoing sound of her shoes clear in the hall, to grab at the man and began shaking him.

"Kaede! Kaede!" she cried out shaking him harder. Suddenly, the woman shrieked as the man fell to the floor, bringing her along with him.

"Kaede!"

_The statue floated lazily on the surface of the ocean as the sun's rays kissed it for the first time in a millenia. Finally, it was free..._

* * *

_The cold wind blew bittingly in the air, blowing at the branches of the trees and howling through cracks and holes in all the houses in ancient China. The two lovers inside a small house lay together on a warm bed not feeling the chill as they embraced. Candlelight flickered gently in the paper lanterns, casting soft shadows on the stone weather-worn walls. The wooden windows rattled a bit by the gust of wind but the couple paid no heed._

_After thoroughly kissing his partner on the lips, the dark-haired man trailed his mouth along the redhead's cheek and then stopping at the jaw. As he started kissing and nibbling his lover at the place below the ear, the redhead asked, "Hey, can you do me a favour?"_

_"What?" the dark-haired man said distractedly._

_"Say to me: If you die, I'll follow you for I do not fear the loneliness of death."_

_"What brought this about?" the dark-haired man asked, propping himself on his elbow._

_The redhead played at his lover's hand still splayed on his chest as he mumbled, "Well, you see, with your job with the emperor I'm afraid... mmph!"_

_The dark-haired man stopped his forceful kiss, looking at the only person who has meant so much to him. Other people may only see the young man beneath him as a loud and brash person but at moments like this the redhead can reveal an uncertain and emotional side in him which made the dark-haired man love him dearly. The brunette gave his lover a dragging kiss along the jaw before opening his mouth to whisper, "If you die, I'll follow you for I do not fear the loneliness of death."_

_"Thank you," the redhead smiled, "Then we will be a pair of beautiful spirits."_  
_To the young man's surprise, his lover shook his head. "No. I don't want to be a beautiful spirit. I like flesh and blood. I love the feeling of being inside your flesh. That's real."_

_The redhead's puzzled expression vanished as he blushed and looked into his lover's beautiful blue fox eyes. "And I love the feeling of having you inside me. Flesh or spirit."_

_The dark-haired man then started kissing him again, finding his way back to the redhead's mouth. As he kissed the redhead passionately on the lips, his hand wormed its way inside the folds of the redhead's clothes._

_"You wear too much," the dark-haired man complained as his hand continued its task separating the redhead's multiple layers of clothing. The redhead grinned, wanting to snicker or tease at his lover but instead he moaned as he felt a warm hand starting to caress his nipple._

Hanamichi groaned as he lay writhing in the bed, feeling pleasure course through his veins. His breathing grew more heavy before he suddenly woke up with a start. Looking around him dazedly, he realised that he was in his house, in his own bed, the clock beside the table showing that it was nearly twelve in the afternoon.

The feeling of those hands and mouth all over his body, caressing and possessing him in the dream still lingered strongly in his consciousness that he felt the need to clean himself. Jumping out of bed, he went hurriedly into the bathroom and turned the shower on. After stripping quickly out of his pajamas, he stood under the jet of warm water, furiously scrubbing his eyes, his mouth, his neck and his chest - all the places on his body which the strange man in his dream had kissed and touched him so intimately.

_I love the feeling of being inside your flesh. That's real... _

The redhead shivered, wondering why those words spoken by that man in his dreams does not repulse him as he thought it should.

* * *

_First posted in 2007_. _Edited in 2010_


	2. Chapter 2

**Japan**

"Hey Hanamichi!"

The redhead turned around at the sound of his name being called.

"Yohei!" Hanamichi grinned as he walked towards his best-friend.

"So, how was your weekend?" Yohei asked.

"Um.." The dream from last night flashed in his head for a moment before he answered with a forced smile "Fine. Just fine."

The two men continued their way to the elevator to get to their office and as they passed by a group of young women, Yohei heard one of them started to whisper excitedly before the group started giggling. Hanamichi was oblivious to the chatter, continuing to talk happily with his friend whereas Yohei gave the women a charming grin, making them giggle again as they nudged at each other. Half of them were looking expectantly at the redhead to give them the same attention but was disappointed when Hanamichi kept on his one-sided conversation with the brunette.

Once inside the elevators, Hanamichi pressed the button that would take them to their floor when he heard Yohei give a sigh.

"What's wrong?" the redhead asked.

"You, that's what," Yohei said.

"Huh?"

Yohei scowled at the redhead. "Hanamichi, when was the last time you had a date?"

Hanamichi was surprised at the question but nevertheless went over his head to try to remember the time of his last date.

"Uhhhh... eight months ago... I think..."

"See what I mean? You need to get out more or you're never gonna have a life!" Yohei told him firmly.

"C'mon, Yohei! Not dating doesn't mean that I don't have a life! Besides I can't find anyone who wants to date me," Hanamichi said defending himself.

Yohei rolled his eyes as he remembered the group of young women they had passed by at the lobby just a few minutes ago. He knew that most people were wary of Hanamichi in the beginning because of his red hair and tall build but it didn't take long for them to warm up to the redhead because of his outward and cheerful nature. Men either hated his attitude or loved it and for women, they mostly see Hanamichi as a fun and outgoing friend, although in some cases...

"Oh yeah, what about Mrs. Taka, our former client, who still has that crush on you?" reminded Yohei.

"Uh..."

"Or that cute girl from the 5th floor who keeps sending you gifts not only on your birthday or when you got sick, but also every Christmas, Valentine and other holidays that I can think of..."

"I...uh..."

"Or Shishiro's gorgeous cousin who jumped you during Chistmas eve last year?" he said not stopping.

"Ok, ok! I get the point! They're just ... not my type, that's all," said Hanamichi while mentally trying to will the elevator to go faster.

"Oh, really? So what is your type of woman?" Yohei asked boring his eyes at the redhead who seemed to be concentrating on the glowing numbers of the elevator.

Hanamichi suddenly remembered the strong arms, the gentle but fiery touches and the warm embraces from his dream, when the elevator doors opened.

"I'll tell you when I meet him," Hanamichi said quietly as he stepped outside and walked quickly away.

"What?" Yohei said not hearing, but Hanamichi only kept walking. "Damn," the brunette muttered. Suddenly he had an idea and with a sly grin he turned his direction towards the office door of the CEO with an idea in mind.

"Good morning, Mito-sama," greeted the secretary as he walked up to her.

"Good morning, Kouru-san. Tell me, is the boss in yet?" Yohei asked stopping by the woman's desk.

"Yes, of course. Let me call to tell him that you want to see him," she said picking up the phone.

Yohei did not have to wait long before he was allowed to enter. Knocking on the door, he waited for a reply before he walked in and was greeted by a man he had known since he was 10.

"Good morning, Sakuragi-san," Yohei greeted taking the outstretched hand of his employer.

"Knowing you, this early morning visit is not of a business nature, so please let's not be formal," the older man said, smiling.

Yohei laughed, "You got me there, uncle. I came here because I want to talk to you about Hanamichi."

"Hanamichi? Is there any problem with my son?" the Sakuragi senior asked, parental worry evident on his expression.

"No, it's nothing of a concern but ..." Yohei tried to explain but not finding the right words he just asked bluntly, "well, have you ever imagined yourself being surrounded by little redheads calling you grand-dad?"

* * *

Hanamichi knocked on the door, waiting for a reply from inside before entering. When he walked in he was surprised to see Yohei sitting on a couch nearby looking too pleased with himself that Hanamichi felt instantly suspicious.

"Hanamichi," his father said breaking his attention away from Yohei.

"Yes, sir?"

"When was the last time you took some time off?" Sakuragi senior asked his son.

"Well, I had this contract to do that took quite some time..." started Hanamichi before his father suddenly cut in, "I want you to take some time off for a while. Go and enjoy yourself. Yohei will be going to Hong Kong at the end of the week and I suggest you join him to have some rest."

"B-but, I got a client who-"

"Let Takamiya take care of it," his father said firmly.

"I don't-" the redhead started to protest.

"That's an order, Hanamichi," his father stated, looking at his son in the eyes. Hanamichi was the most stubborn person Yohei has ever met but his father always knew how to control him. The dark-haired man wouldn't be surprised if the 50 year old heavily set man would suddenly throw his son in a judo-flair just to get his point across.

"Yes, sir," Hanamichi reluctantly acquiesced as he bowed, before he walked out in annoyance. Once Yohei was outside his father's office, the redhead grabbed his friend by the jacket and dragged him away from eyes of the concerned secretary.

"You - You! You did this!" Hanamichi said angrily, letting his friend go once they were inside Yohei's office.

"So?" Yohei said calmly straightening out his suit.

"SO? SO?" Hanamichi said incredulously waving his hands in the air, "Mr. Hanson is one of our biggest client and you want me to hand him over to... to... Takamiya?"

"Hey, Takamiya's capable enough," Yohei defended their friend, "Besides an order is an order. Now go back to your office and wrap up your work before we take off for Hong Kong this week."

Yohei pushed his friend out of the office, ignoring the red-head's curses, and shut the door tightly.

Seeing that there was no way around it, Hanamichi turned around to go back to his office when he came face to face with Takamiya eating a banana.

"Hey, Hanamichi, the boss wants me to take up on Mr. Hanson's-"

BAM!

Moments later, Takamiya lay dazed on the floor with a bump on his forehead.

Hanamichi spun around to stomp away when he suddenly stopped and said grouchily, "Stop over by my office to get Mr. Hanson's file."

"Ok..." Takamiya managed weakly.

* * *

**Hong Kong**

Rukawa Kaede looked over the city from the balcony of his pent-house as he sipped on his wine. The cool night breeze played with his raven hair and cooled his already pale cheeks when suddenly a pair of slender arms wrapped themselves around his waist before a soft body leaned against his back.

Rukawa turned around and gave the young woman a small smile and in return she gave him a long, loving kiss. When they broke apart Rukawa asked, "So what do think about doctor Chen's diagnosis about my lapse at the concert?"

"I think that he's right," Ming Mei said as she nuzzled at his neck, "that you were stressed out and that you need plenty of rest... and..."

"And?"

"And that you need to have a regular dose of sex every once in a while," she added cheekily.

Rukawa gave another small smile which Ming Mei has learnt to know that it was the most a person could get out of him. Rukawa looked at his girlfriend who he has known for eight years - the woman who has dedicated her life for him, leaving Hong Kong, her home and her family, to be with her Japanese boyfriend. Rukawa knew that he should be happy with his life now, having her with him and celebrating the success of his career together.

But lately it seemed to him that something in his perfect life was all wrong, especially since that vision of the statue in the ocean came to him.

"That statue looked a lot like me," Rukawa told her suddenly.

"But it surfaced, didn't it?" Ming Mei reminded him, "so that might mean that your life will turn out better."

Ming Mei kissed Rukawa on his cheek and when she reached his lips, they kissed tenderly until the young man dropped his head to kiss her neck. As Rukawa's lips descended onto her slender neck, his eyes riveted to the glass doors leading to the inside of the pent-house and what he saw made him stop.

The room has changed.

Instead of white lights lighting the room by flourescent bulbs, the place was illuminated by soft yellow light from the candles burning inside paper lanterns and on candle stands. What was supposed to be a living room was now a bedroom with an ancient looking bed near the wall and satin covered pillows were strewn about on the floor and on the bed.

But what awed him the most was the sight of a young man walking about the room humming a tune as he played a zither he held in his hands. The person was as tall as he was, dressed in robes of the past and his long red flaming hair tied at the back in two places, the red locks swaying on his back as he continued to strum the strings of the musical instrument.

Rukawa felt himself walking towards the vision, entranced when the red-head looked up at him through the open glass doors to give him a dazzling smile.

"Kaede?"

Rukawa turned around to see where he had left Ming Mei, the woman looking at him with a puzzled expression on her face. He quickly turned back to see the young man again but when he did, the ghostly bedroom has already changed back into a modern living room and the red-head was gone.

"What's the matter?" Ming Mei asked worriedly as she walked towards Rukawa, touching his arm.

"I... I saw a man from the past..."

* * *

_First posted in 2007. Edited in 2010_


	3. Chapter 3

In a flight to Hong Kong, while most passengers lay sleeping in their seats, the rest spent their time making use of the reading materials and the In-flight entertainment provided by the airline.

In the first class area, Hanamichi, who was not feeling particularly tired at that moment, flipped through a magazine as Yohei dozed off next to him. The redhead sat quietly in his seat, reading an article on antique weapons when he came upon a page filled with pictures of daggers and knives with hilts made up of valuable metal and studded with gems. Bored, he was about to flip to another page when he saw a particular dagger with a gold and ivory hilt with a single ruby imbedded in it. Suddenly, a vision flashed before his eyes that made him jerk with surprise.

Feeling the chair next to him jerk, Yohei suddenly sat up. "Wha... Hanamichi? Are you alright?" the dark-haired man asked drowsily.

"I... I'm fine..." Hanamichi replied trying to control the trembling in his voice.

"Y'sure?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just go back to sleep," Hanamichi told his friend.

Yohei, too sleepy to argue, settled back and promptly fell back to sleep.

Hanamichi closed the magazine and quickly stuffed it in the seat compartment in front of him. He tried to keep awake for the rest of the trip not wanting his sleep to be invaded by a vision of a handsome dark-haired man being strangled by a rope, the man's blue eyes widening in fear and pain.

* * *

**Hong Kong**

In their penthouse, Rukawa was reading the Hong Kong newspaper as Ming Mei busied herself in the kitchen, washing the dishes from breakfast. The young woman hummed as she ran the soapy dishes under the water making Rukawa look up at the sound, instantly reminding him of the redheaded man. Feeling her lover's eyes on her, she turned around and smiled. Rukawa smiled back but it was a non-heartfelt smile before he turned his attention back to his paper. He could not understand why just looking at Ming Mei reminded him of the emptiness he was still feeling inside.

Ming Mei turned back to her task when suddenly the sound of a something crashing from behind made Ming Mei spin back around in surprise to see what has happened. At the kitchen table, Rukawa had dropped his mug of coffee on the floor and the brunette's eyes were staring wide at the paper he held in his hands.

"Kaede! What's wrong?" asked Ming Mei, panicked as she ran to him, careful not to step on the broken shards.

Rukawa instantly thrust the newspaper he had been reading to Ming Mei, his normally cool expression carrying a small but genuine hint of excitement. It was an article on an exhibition of the Qin Emperor's terracotta army and with it came a full page-sized picture of a terracotta statue in full army gear, the stone soldier's hair done in a bun-like hairstyle and its eyes glaring pointedly to the front.

It looked like the statue that Rukawa saw in his vision.

"We're going there," he stated.

* * *

The bell tinkled when the door to a store swung open. A young woman with short dyed hair sitting behind a counter looked up to see two young men walk in and began looking around the store in curiosity.

Instantly recognising the shorter one, she left her seat at the counter and walked quickly up to him.

"Yohei Mito!" she called. The young man swung around at sound of the voice and smiled when he recognised who the woman was.

"Ling Ling!" he greeted cheerfully in English, hugging her when she reached him.

"What brings you here?" she asked laughingly after disengaging herself from the Japanese.

"Purely pleasure," he said, giving her a wide grin before he whispered to her conspiratorily as he jerked his thumb to Hanamichi's direction, "and to give my friend there a weekend of fun. Maybe even get him a girlfriend or something. Got any nice friends for him meet?"

Ling Ling whistled lowly when she took a look at the redhead. "Not bad. What about about me?"

"Oh!" Yohei gasped in a mocked-hurt tone, "you already forgot about US?"

"Sorry, but I need a better man than you. But I hear those Japanese girls are real lookers," she said following the joke, "No doubt you have forgotten about "us" as soon as you went back to Japan."

"I swear I have never forgotten you," he said holding up his hand.

Not able to supress her mirth, Ling Ling giggled, slapping her friend on the arm. "Always the Don Juan, eh, Yohei?"

"For you only," he replied before he turned to Hanamichi who was busy admiring the oddities displayed, "Yo, Hanamichi, come and meet a friend of mine."

The redhead walked towards them and shook hands with the store-keeper as Yohei introduced them.

"Hanamichi, Ang Ling Ling. Ling Ling, Sakuragi Hanamichi. Hanamichi works at the same company as I do as the financial consultant and Ling Ling here is an old friend of mine when I studied here for three years. I took a management course while she took an archeological one."

"Nice to meet you," said Hanamichi in perfect English.

"Same here. Dyed?" Ling Ling asked, looking at his red hair.

"Huh? Oh. No. I think I inherited it from my great-grandmother," Hanamichi answered unconciously touching his hair.

"Really? Cool! Mine's dyed. Pure asian blood," she told him running her fingers through her hair.

"So," Yohei cut in, "You finally got youself a shop, eh?"

"Yeah," Ling Ling said, her expression brightening a few amps, "I share it with a few friends of mine. We only deal with antiques here. On our spare time we go excavating with a few pros or professors and students and usually we get some fee out of it."

As Ling Ling talked she brought them around the store, showing them the antiques which were kept in mint-condition. "They are very hard to maintain," she told them , "and expensive too, but when a serious collector comes to buy it, our investment is usually worth it."

When the trio passed by an arrangment of antiques in one of the corners of the store, Hanamichi's eyes fell upon a beautiful zither placed on a table between two rosewood antique chairs. He stopped, staring at the piece that he thought looked vaguely familiar.

Yohei, suddenly realising that his friend was no longer beside him, turned to see Hanamichi who was looking at the musical intrument with interest.

"Hanamichi?" Yohei called, walking up to his friend.

Hanamichi did not reply as he reached out his fingers to touch the cool wooden surface of the zither.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ling Ling said coming up to them, "'Got it from an auction a few years back. Haven't found a buyer for it yet."

Hanamichi, not actually listening to the woman talk, let his fingers run carefully on the zither, tracing the intricate drawings along the wooden surface before those fingers grazed the strings to strum them lightly, making a nice resonnating sound.

Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming sense of deja vu that made him step back in amazement.

"Hanamichi? Hey, man. Are you alright?" asked Yohei putting a hand on the redhead's arm.

"Uh, yeah," Hanamichi said, quickly covering up his action, "Just tired that's all."

"Jet lag. You should return to your hotel and take a rest before you drop off on the street" Ling Ling advised. Then she perked up, "Interested in buying it?" she said motioning to the zither

"I...no... maybe next time," said Hanamichi putting up a smile.

The girl shrugged before turning to both Yohei and Hanamichi. "Have you seen the new exhibiton they have started yesterday?"

"No. We just came here this morning," Yohei told her.

"Great! Then I can take you guys to see it tomorrow if you're not busy."

"Sure, why not ... wait a minute. Let me guess. Don't tell me this exhibition is about some old dusty artifacts?" grimaced Yohei.

"Hey! Those old dusty artifacts can show you the great power the chinese had 2,000 years ago," she sniffed, turning up her nose in pride.

Yohei laughed. "Ok, ok. But after that, you're gonna take us somewhere that does not have any more old stuff."

"Fine, fine," she sighed, waving her hand in a conceding manner.

"What's this exhibition about anyway?" Hanamichi asked her, not wanting to think about the places Yohei would be dragging him to to find him a girl.

"The Qin Emperor's terracotta army."

* * *

Rukawa walked along the row of statues placed in a straight line in front of him. Ming Mei who was walking from the opposite direction, stopped beside him before opening up the booklet guide she has in her hand.

"I think this was one of the prisoners they beheaded," she said, looking at the headless statue while also taking glances from the guide book. "Did you find the statue of yourself?"

Rukawa looked around and shook his head. " I think the one I saw was taller than the ones here. And that it came from the ocean. These statues came from tombs."

The young woman 'hmm'ed before looking at the smaller sized statues of other less important soldiers of the emperor.

"Wow, there are more than 7,000 of them here," Ming Mei remarked before musing, "I would love to see how you would look like as a Qin Dynasty man. Hey - maybe we can find the statue of the man you saw that night."

"Maybe," he replied as he continued his search around the hall with Ming Mei walking along side him.

-xxx-

"Being an archeologist, you always dream of discovering treasures to be found underneath the Chinese soil. The dynasties are numerous; the Xia, the Shang, Zhou, the Qin, the Han, the Three Kingdoms, the Wei, the Jin, the Southern and Northern, the Tong, the Five Dynasties, the Song, the Yuan..."

As Yohei and Hanamichi listened with interest to Ling Ling's narration of the history of the power and influence of the past dynasties of China, the trio walked along the halls, looking at a few painted pictures showing different scenes from China's ancient times. Reaching the area where the terracotta figures where exhibited, they felt an odd sense of excitement and awe when they first saw the grim-faced statues orderly standing tall and proud.

After a few moments of silence, Ling Ling continued her talk, "The Qin Emperor believed in the after-life. He ordered his craftsmen to make terracotta figures of his entire army and had them buried with him to re-enact his conquest, his empire-building, the execution of his enemies and his unification of the six countries."

The young woman pushed back her dyed bangs from her eyes with one hand, sighing. "They are actually ghosts of his empire."

"They are almost like real people," commented Yohei looking at one of the statues glaring to the distance.

"I knew you'd find your way here," a voice suddenly chuckled from behind them.

They turned around to see a middle-aged man with neatly-trimmed beard and glasses smiling good naturedly at them.

"Mr. Chung!" exclaimed Ling Ling in surprise, "It's a pleasant surprise to see you here!" She stepped up to give the man a big hug as they laughed and exchanged jolly 'how are you's.

"This is Mr Chung. He was my lecturer in the university," Ling Ling explained to the two Japanese. "And these are my two friends from Japan," she told her ex-lecturer, "I think you might remember Yohei Mito?"

"Vaguely," the bearded man said regretfully as he shook hands with the two.

"Don't worry. You didn't miss much," joked Yohei getting another chuckle from the man.

"Actually I am the curator of this museum now. I can show you around and then later I'll take you all out for lunch. How's that?" said Mr Chung.

"That'll be great!" exclaimed Ling Ling cheerfully.

"Why not," Yohei shrugged before turning to his friend, "Is that okay for you Hanamichi? Hanamichi?"

Hanamichi turned around to the sound of his friend's voice with a blank expression on his face.

"W-What? Oh, yeah, sure," the redhead said recovering quickly, "Excuse me for a moment. I think I saw someone I know." With that, Hanamichi walked quickly away towards the front door of the museum before Yohei could say another word.

-xxx-

_It was him!_ Hanamichi thought excitedly as he walked faster, _He's real! _When the redhead was outside, he turned left and then right and then left again, scanning frantically for that person. Not seeing the man anywhere made Hanamichi realise that either he has lost him or the dream and visions have already screwed his brain and made him see things that didn't exist. Disappointment mixed with confusion, the redhead turned back around towards the museum entrance to rejoin his friends.

He was passing by a poster stand placed near the door, when he suddenly stopped and stepped back. The poster was about a concert showing in Hong Kong conducted by a famous conductor from Japan. Not a fan of classical music, he was unfamiliar with the name Rukawa Kaede but what attracted his attention was the picture of the conductor seeming to be intent on leading a musical piece with a baton in his hand, his midnight coloured bangs nearly covering his blue fox eyes.

Hanamichi could only stare at it with only a single thought in his mind, _It really is him..._

**-tbc**

* * *

_First posted 2007. Re-edited 2010_


	4. Chapter 4

Ming Mei looped her arms around Rukawa's as they walked along the street towards their pent-house. They were passing by a couple of vendors selling small trinkets and snacks when Ming Mei saw a palm reader sitting behind a small table.

"Let's get our palms read," Ming Mei suggested, pulling Rukawa towards the old woman who donned a pair of sunglasses. Rukawa obliged, letting the young woman tag him along.

When they stopped in front of the table, the old woman lifted up her head to smile. "Do you want your fortune read?"

"Yes please, auntie. Do his first," Ming Mei said indicating to the stoic man beside her.

"Please sit here," the old woman said waving her hand in front of her where a stool stood. When Rukawa sat down she gave another smile and said, "I am blind but I am able to feel the lines of your palm for reading. Please give me your right hand, young man."

Ming Mei, surprised at the old woman's statement, did not comment as she watched Rukawa extend his palm towards the woman's wizened ones.

The woman let her fingers graze across Rukawa's palm for a few moments while the young couple looked on. Then still holding onto Rukawa's hand, she asked, "Have you experienced anything disturbing recently?"

Rukawa was hesitant but he answered, "Yes, I have."

Seeing that Rukawa was not going to say anything more, Ming Mei offered, "A few days ago he had a vision of a stone figure that looks just like him. And then when we went to the Terracotta army exhibiton, he said that the statues there looks like the one he saw."

"The Qin Emperors's army?" the old woman wondered aloud to herself. "Was there anything else you saw?"

"A man. A man with red-hair," Rukawa told her. This time Ming Mei looked at Rukawa in surprise. The conductor has told his girlfriend only vague details about the man in his visions and Ming Mei has not thought to ask, thinking that Rukawa has indeed imagined it all due to stress.

The old woman remained silent for a few seconds before asking Rukawa his birth details- the year, the lunar month, the day and the time of the day. This Rukawa answered quickly.

"The Dingyou year, 5th month, 8th day, midnight... Qin Dynasty man," the woman analysed finally. "Young man, you are from the past 2,197 years ago. You belong to the Qin Dynasty."

"You're joking!" Ming Mei laughed. Rukawa, however, looked as if he was contemplating seriously on what the old woman was saying.

"There are matters in the former life beyond your grasp," said the fortune-teller. "Go and mull it over. Whatever fate may bring will be good."

When the old woman let her hands slip away from Rukawa's, the man slowly stood up. Turning towards Ming Mei he told her, "I'm going to go for a walk alone. Don't wait up for me."

"Kaede..." Ming Mei started to call but the dark-haired man was already walking, his long legs bringing him quickly away before disappearing into the crowd. She was disturbed at the way Rukawa looked at her. It had a sense of regret and ... finality.

Shaking herself off from her anxiety, Ming Mei turned towards the palm reader intending to pay her when the old woman said, "Keep you money, young lady."

"But, we..."

"Let him go," the old woman said, her unseeing eyes staring through the dark glasses.

"What do you mean?" Ming Mei asked, confused.

"The man with red hair is waiting for the young man and he is someone very close to him in his former life. He mustn't be late for him."

"What are you on about?" Ming Mei asked, quickly feeling exasperated.

"The man with the red hair and him are from the same place and time 2,197 years ago and they belong to the Qin Dynasty. I don't know why they've waited for so long to meet again but they will soon," the old woman told her.

"Why should I leave him?" Ming Mei demanded.

The old woman cocked her head. "They were lovers. You mustn't touch him anymore for his body is seeped with the red-haired man's blood."

Ming Mei, not the highly superstitious type, suddenly felt a bad premonition as a chilled breeze blew past her, seeping into her bones, making her shiver.

"That's impossible," she told the palm reader coldly before walking away, desperate to find Rukawa at once.

In the distance she could hear the old woman's voice singing _"I sit weaving as dawn breaks, my mind unquiet, My parents bore me unbidden, I starve in the daytime, feed on bitterness at night, Paying back debts from my former life, Ah, the turmoil of my thoughts."_

_

* * *

_

The bell overhead tinkled as a young man walked in. Looking up, the shop-keeper saw a familiar person who she had thought would not be coming back that soon.

"Couldn't stay away, huh?" She grinned.

_**-xxx-**_

Rukawa looked around as he walked. His mind was not totally registering to his surroundings, still deep in thought of the reading the old woman gave him. The conductor had not told anyone that the man he saw had beautiful red hair because he wanted to keep that secret to himself. He did not know why. Maybe because he was selfish.

After walking for a few more minutes, he felt suddenly tired. He looked around and saw that he had stopped in front of a shop selling antiques. Thinking that he may rest there for a while before he returned to the pent-house, he walked in, hearing a tinkling of a bell as he did.

The shop was cooler inside and the lights played cleverly on the antiques, invitingly asking any customers to come and admire them and take them home. As he was looking at a scroll painting hanging on the wall near an old looking cabinet, a voice spoke to him from behind, "May I be of assistance?"

He turned around and saw a young woman with short dyed hair smiling politely to him.

"No, I'm just looking around," Rukawa replied.

"So, see anything you like?" she asked.

"I just-" Rukawa stopped.

It was the sound of a zither floating past them in a soft vibrating way. It carried no particular tune but the way the player was playing around with the strings made it seem as if the player was about to start on a melody Rukawa has in the back of his mind.

Quickly, Rukawa scanned the area for the source of the sound before he saw a person standing with his back to him a few feet away. At first Rukawa was not able to tell how old the person was, only that the man was tall and the light managed to reflect the colour of the man's hair. It was fiery red. Rukawa dimly heard the shopkeeper's query whether he was all right as he dazedly walked towards the other man. His heart started to beat loudly as he was getting nearer, anxiety ruling him that he felt like wanting to just turn around and walk quickly away.

But then the redhead turned and they were suddenly face to face a few metres apart. Both men stood stock still, soft brown eyes locked in with deep blue ones. They stared at each other for a long time until they heard the sound of a wooden instrument hitting the floor, the strings vibrating from the impact.

"Hanamichi!" Ling Ling yelped, "Be careful!"

Hanamichi jerked out of his daze as he watched the shopkeeper quickly pick up the instrument from the floor where he had accidentally dropped it.

"Ling Ling... I'm... I'm sorry..." apologised Hanamichi finally finding his voice when another one cut in, "I'll buy it."

Hanamichi and Ling Ling turned to look at Rukawa in surprise.

"But..." Ling Ling started, looking at Hanamichi.

"Never mind, Ling Ling. He can have it," Hanamichi told her. Feeling those blue eyes staring at him again, he suddenly became flustered and uneasy. He turned towards Ling Ling and said nervously, "I... I have to go now. I'll see you later, kay?"

Suddenly a hand gripping his arm stopped him from walking away. Hanamichi looked up to see the dark-haired man looking at him intensely as he said, "Come with me."

"D-Do I know you?" stuttered Hanamichi.

Rukawa arched an eyebrow, looking somewhat hesitant. _Does he really not know me or is he just plain ignorant,_ thought Rukawa in annoyance. "I think you might. We just need to talk," said Rukawa, holding the redhead's arm more firmly.

Hanamichi winced involuntarily before the dark-haired man let go.

"Please."

Hanamichi rubbed his arm as mixtures of emotions crossed his face, from confusion to excitement to fear to curiosity...

Finally the redhead nodded, "Ok."

* * *

Ming Mei was across the street when she saw Rukawa walking out of a shop, safe and sound. She smiled in relief but then she saw her boyfriend stop to hold the door and let another person walk out.

_A man with red hair!_

"No! Kaede!" she cried out but the noise of the traffic made it hard for her to be heard. She frantically tried to find a way to cross the street but the cars zipping past her made it impossible to do so. Then a big truck passed by and she was forced to step back on the pavement. When the shop came back into view, Rukawa and the redhead were gone.

"Kaede..."

**-tbc**


	5. Chapter 5

Rukawa unlocked the door of his old apartment before motioning to the redhead to follow him inside. They had been silent during their trip from the antique shop, the packed zither in Rukawa's hand as something neither both of them wanted to acknowledge just yet, and the only conversation they had was to decide on was where to go to have their talk in private.

The apartment was clean and well kept by the cleaning lady employed by the landlord, despite the 4 years it has been left uninhibited. Rukawa looked around, reminising the past when he was just a lowly music-composer about to make it to the top with Ming Mei by his side.

Suddenly he heard the balcony door being shifted open and the warmth mixed in with the cold breeze blew in, dissipating the muskiness of the room. He looked to where Hanamichi was standing under the threshold of the balcony door, the dusky rays of the setting sun falling upon the redhead making him look surreal. Hanamichi then turned around to give the brunette an uncertain smile.

"I saw you twice," Rukawa suddenly spoke up, "and the first time I saw you, I wasn't dreaming. I was with my girlfriend when you - the ancient you - appeared at our penthouse."

Hanamichi looked surprised. "What was I doing?"

"You were playing the zither. And humming a song. Then you turned around and smiled at me," Rukawa told him.

Hanamichi went silent for a moment, thinking about what Rukawa has just told him before it was his turn to share his experience. "I saw you three times. Only one was in a dream."

"What was I doing?" Rukawa asked walking slowly towards the redhead.

Hanamichi blushed, turning his face away to gaze outside the apartment. "...You were making love to me," he replied softly.

Suddenly strong arms wrapped the redhead from behind in a loose embrace. Hanamichi stiffened at first, but it felt so good, so right, that the redhead easily relaxed and leaned back against the brunette's chest. Hanamichi sighed when he felt a warm mouth brushing against his neck before he bent his head back to give Rukawa more access. He nearly purred when Rukawa started kissing him and unconciously grasped at the brunette's arms which were now holding onto him tightly. Suddenly a dog barked from outside and the daze Hanamichi was in quickly dipersed. "Shit!" he cursed, quickly pushing away.

The fox-eyed man blinked in surprise at the sudden loss of contact. "What's the matter?"

Hanamichi's face burned. "Look, I... I've never been kissed by a man before and so... this is all kinda weird for me."

Rukawa did not comment. True, it was getting weird for him too.

"Have you been to the Qin Dynasty's terracotta army exhibition?" Rukawa asked the redhead to break the tension.

Hanamichi nodded. Walking towards the doorway, Rukawa picked up the zither from the floor where he had just left it earlier against the wall. Strumming the strings he instantly managed to familiarise himself with the tones and started to play.

Hanamichi gaped. The melody was hauntingly familiar. Try as he might, he knew that there was not a time when he had heard the music from any radio and television station because that melody was played when there were no such thing as electronical media appliances. It was played far back in the past - so long ago.

"I can still remember the song that you hummed," Rukawa said, still strumming the zither. He began walking towards the balcony and continued, "I was born a musician. I can play any tune once I've heard it and I can immedietly arrange it for the synthesizer. We're probably the only ones in the world who has ever heard of the real Qin music."

"Is it really Qin Dynasty music?" Hanamichi asked curiously, not moving from his spot.

Rukawa turned around to look at the redhead and after a while the brunette told the other man, "My girlfriend and I went to see a blind palm-reader and she told me that I was from the Qin Dynasty some 2,197 years ago. If I was from the Qin Dynasty, so were you."

Hanamichi just stood there with his head down, looking thoughtful. Rukawa then made a move towards the light switch and switched on the lights. White light flooded the small apartment and casted away the shadows made by the dusky rays of the golden sun.

"I saw you in Qin clothes," Rukawa went on as he walked towards the small kitchen, switching on the lights there, "in a Qin house, humming a Qin song."

Hanamichi looked around the bare apartment, finally observing his surroundings with the bright light.

"Where's the furniture? You live here?" the redhead asked the fox-eyed man.

"I used to," Rukawa said, "before I moved to Japan with Ming Mei."

"So you were born here?"

Rukawa nodded. "Yes, but my parents are Japanese."

Rukawa then suddenly realised that he has been speaking with Hanamichi in Japanese since the first time they met. Rukawa shook his head lightly at the fact, thinking that it was probably due to his past life with Hanamichi that had made both of them able to click together without them realising it.

"What's the matter?" the redhead asked.

"Nothing," Rukawa replied walking towards the centre of the room and laying down on the carpet.

Hanamichi followed him and sat down beside Rukawa, drawing up his knees to his chest. The redhead rubbed at his face and sighed. " 'Never felt so confused in all my life," Hanamichi mumbled. Propping his arms on his knees, he looked at Rukawa.

"So, we knew each other in the Qin Dynasty, huh?" the redhead asked.

"Yes."

"And do you think that we were ... lovers?" Hanamichi asked softly.

Rukawa turned his head to gaze at the redhead deeply before saying just as softly, "Yes."

Hanamichi smiled as he leaned his head on his arms. "I thought so or I've never would've wanted to kiss a man the first time I saw him."

Rukawa gave him a small smile before turning his head back to face the ceiling once more. "When I saw you at the apartment, I already felt intimate with you. As if I've known you for a long time."

"And the second time?" Hanamichi asked.

"In a dream last night, before I went to see the exhibition. I didn't tell anyone about it, even Ming Mei, because I knew she didn't believe me the first time," Rukawa told him.

"And what was I doing then?" the redhead asked.

"I think you were putting on your clothes," said Rukawa as he tried to remember clearly, "Two layers, I think."

Hanamichi remembered one of Ling Ling's narration of the Qin Dynasty clothes clearly from that morning and said, "No, I think it was three layers."

The dark-haired man shrugged. "Neverthless, I think the Qin Dynasty people wore too much."

Hanamichi chuckled. "That's what you said to me in my dream."

Rukawa looked at the redhead in surprise before he smiled again and stood up to walk towards the still-open balcony door. The cold wind of the nearing nightfall was starting to chill the room but both men did not seem to mind.

"What other things do you remember?" Rukawa asked.

Hanamichi thought hard when suddenly a vision flashed in his mind. "A dagger..." he said trying his best to catch the image clearly but what he saw horrified him.

_Blood... so much blood..._

Rukawa knelt beside Hanamichi who suddenly has a shocked expression on his face and held him by the shoulders. "What is it?"

When the redhead did not reply but looked at him with fear in his brown eyes, Rukawa shook him roughly. "What is it?" the brunette asked again, "Are you hiding something from me of what you've seen?"

Hanamichi shook his head furiously before he pushed Rukawa to lie on the floor and started kissing the fox-eyed man almost frantically. Rukawa, stunned at the redhead's behaviour, allowed Hanamichi to straddle him as their mouths moved and their tongues battled. Both men were swept in the sea of wild passion and they both rode the waves of familiar ecstacy as Hanamichi took Rukawa on the floor.

They both came together and the sudden blinding climax shook their minds and their bodies before Hanamichi slumped on top of Rukawa, totally spent.

A few seconds later, they both lay in each other's arms in silence as Rukawa ran his fingers over Hanamichi's red hair before Hanamichi took the hand to thread their fingers together and kiss the pale knuckles. Hanamichi bit his lip as he rested his head on Rukawa's shoulder. The disturbing vision he had earlier jolted a sudden feeling of fear over his Qin Dynasty lover that he desperately wanted to make love to the brunette at once to assure himself that the man was still with him, alive and well.

"What was that about?" Rukawa asked carefully as he ran his hand along the still clothed arm of the redhead.

"I... I saw blood ..."

"Whose?"

"...I don't know..." the redhead said wearily. To the redhead's relief, Rukawa did not press for more as he allowed the emotionally-drained young man fall asleep. Carefully, Rukawa set Hanamichi down to lay more comfortably on the floor before he arranged the redhead's clothing and covered the redhead with his long jacket. Rukawa then picked up his own throusers which were thrown aside and winced a little as he pulled them on before standing up to shut the balcony door closed. After doing so, the brunette then walked back over to the redhead and crawled under the jacket to join his newly-found lover to sleep.

**

* * *

**_First posted in 2007. Re-Edited in 2010_


	6. Chapter 6

Under the warm jet of water, Hanamichi washed himself clean. He was feeling more refreshed than he has been since the time of his first dream and being with Rukawa, the redhead felt oddly satiated - like being back home where he belonged.

After drying himself with the towel Rukawa borrowed from the landlord, Hanamichi put back on his clothes and stepped out to see the dark-haired man standing outside the balcony, looking out into the night. Hanamichi walked towards him and stood closely from behind.

Feeling the redhead behind him, Rukawa leaned back, letting Hanamichi hesitantly loop his arms around him. It felt odd for the redhead to do this. True, they have made love just a few hours ago but that was when they were overcome with their first meeting... And that vision...

Hanamichi bent his head to inhale his lover's scent. It smelled of the soap that they both were using, mixed with the masculine odour distinctly of Rukawa. It smelled nice. Safe. Familiar. _Of course it should_, the redhead thought, chuckling inwardly. When he lifted his head back, Rukawa gave him a long lingering kiss on his lips.

After a moment, they broke apart. Hanamichi smiled the first genuine smile Rukawa has ever seen him give and it was surprisingly contagious to the conductor that his lips threatened to curve out more than what they are used to. Rukawa could not remember a time when he had felt so contented.

_**-xx-**_

An hour later, the two men were shopping inside a nearly deserted department store. The brunette wheeled the grocery cart while the redhead stayed by his side as they scanned the shelves for food and drinks.

"Meeting after two thousand years calls for a celebration," the redhead proclaimed, picking up a bottle of white wine from the third shelf. The fox-eyed man nodded in agreement at Hanamichi's selection before he walked up to the shelves himself. "Let's take two," Rukawa said.

Hanamichi grinned. "Whatever. It's our party. Hey, d'you know how to cook?"

Rukawa shook his head. Hanamichi shrugged. "Neither do I. Oh well, I'll go look for some instant ramen or noodles or whatever they got here."

"Sure," the dark-haired man replied getting back to the shelves while Hanamichi searched for the noodles at the end of the isle. Rukawa was already holding his bottle of chosen wine when he suddenly realised that the redhead has disappeared. He let the bottle sit back on the shelf before he started walking quickly in search for the missing man. When Rukawa passed by the corner where the last of the noodle selections were kept, there was still no sign of the redhead. The fox-eyed man suddenly felt a sense of panic and his steps quickened.

Rukawa discreetly breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw the redhead standing in front of the fruit section a few seconds later. Putting back his usual stony facade, he walked up to the redhead and arched an eyebrow when Hanamichi showed him a packet of cherries.

"Y'know, my dad bought me a bag of cherries when I was a kid and I stuffed myself till I got sick. After that, everytime I see cherries I'd feel queasy. I don't now why I want to eat them now," the redhead in an odd voice but a smile was visible on his lips. Rukawa did not comment but managed to steer Hanamichi back to where he has left their cart earlier.

"Where were you born?" Rukawa asked, pushing the cart along as they scanned for any more things that they might need in the empty apartment.

"China. But in Shaanxi," the redhead replied, fingering a few items on the shelves as they went along.

"So was I."

Hanamichi blinked and turned to look at Rukawa in surprise. Deep blue eyes looked at him back.

The redhead went on, "My dad was with my mum and a couple of his friends and their wives touring the country side. They were on a boat when my mum gave birth to me."

Rukawa asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-six," Hanamichi replied.

"So am I," the dark-haired man told him. There was a moment of silence before Rukawa spoke up, "Is it possible for us to have been born at the time and place?"

"If I remember correctly Yohei once told me that I was born by the Lunar calendar at the fifth month, eighth day," told the redhead.

"If it's correct then it'll be the same for me," Rukawa said evenly.

_Coincidence? _the redhead wondered. Hanamichi was so engrossed with this discovery that he failed to notice that Rukawa has stopped moving. When he did realise that he was walking alone, the redhead turned around and walked slowly back to his fox-eyed lover.

The man was still standing in that spot looking at him curiously with his deep blue fox eyes. Hanamichi knew what Rukawa was thinking.

_Fate._

Was it their fate to be together again? What about their lives that they have been living before now? Would it fit with their second time of being together? Or would it change? What would Yohei say? What would his father say? Would they think him crazy to take up on a man after a few troubled dreams and visions?

"You mentioned a girlfriend," Hanamichi spoke up. Rukawa nodded.

"She loves you very much?"

Another nod.

"And you love her very much?"

"I met you two thousand years before her," Rukawa asserted at once.

Hanamichi protested, "That's not the point! If it weren't for those two thousand years we-"

"We wouldn't be here shopping together," Rukawa cut in non-chalantly, "Would we?"

Hanamichi looked at Rukawa, annoyed. "Don't make fun of me."

But then Hanamichi looked closer and he saw the set expression on the other man's face. It was at that moment that the redhead understood why Rukawa was avoiding the subject. The brunette truly cared for the woman, and he also knew that Rukawa would refuse to leave him if he asked.

"I'm sorry," Hanamichi said softly, picking up Rukawa's hand to give it a squeeze. To his relief, the brunette returned the touch with his warm hands. Together they walked towards the cashier counter to pay for their purchase.

* * *

"I'm really worried," Yohei told Ling Ling, "He hasn't returned to the hotel since he left on his own after we got back from the exhibition. I looked every where that I know of and there's no sign of him. Do you know of any other place that he might have gone to?"

Ling Ling tapped her chin in thought. "I don't know if... well he met someone here this afternoon... some other Japanese guy..."

"What guy?" Yohei asked surprised.

"Tall, like Hanamichi. Black hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Very attractive," Ling Ling replied, giving a one-sided smile. "I didn't know Hanamichi's into guys."

"Of course he's not!" Yohei laughed at her.

Ling Ling arched an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"Because... because... he ... he's been on dates..." Yohei tried before he shot back, "What makes you say that?"

"Oh," Ling Ling giggled, "You can clearly see sparks flying between them when they saw each other! They hardly realised that I was there!"

Yohei snorted. "You were reading the signs wrong."

Ling Ling leaned forward and flicked the strands of Yohei's hair in front of his head daringly. "And when have my readings been wrong, Yohei Mito?"

Yohei opened his mouth but later shut it back with a scowl.

* * *

Hanamichi shifted the food distractedly on his paper plate while Rukawa watched him. They were sitting on the floor in the still bare apartment and the simple banquet was spread in front of them, half eaten and slowly getting cold.

"Why aren't you eating?" Rukawa asked putting down his half empty paper cup.

Hanamichi replied in a voice so low that Rukawa could hardly hear him, "I remember that long ago after we had made love, we ate just like what we are doing now."

The redhead put down his plate slowly before he turned to look outside the balcony. There was no moon and there was nothing to look at except total darkness and the reflection of themselves on the glass doors.

"I wasn't smiling or laughing. Neither were you, although you seldom do." Hanamichi smiled vaguely before his face saddened. "It was our last meal together."

"What happened?" Rukawa asked.

Hanamichi shook his head, "I don't know..."

More vague visions - and it was starting to frustrate the cool Rukawa.

"Why was it our last night together? What happened to us?" the dark-haired man demanded, angry. Rukawa did not like not being in control and the ambiguity of his former life was like a vague but visible shadow latching from behind as if wanting to remind him of something bad that he had done and he has no idea what it was.

"Shit! I told you I don't know!" Hanamichi shot back.

Rukawa sat back down seemingly calming himself. They sat for a while in silence before Rukawa spoke up, "During a concert, I saw a statue of myself in the ocean. Why would anyone make a statue that resembled me so much? It was like my own corpse. Who made it?"

Hanamichi sighed, unable to find answers for those questions. Just like all other bits and pieces of visions and dreams they shared, he knew it would take time for them to understand.

After a moment of deep consideration, the redhead decided to tell Rukawa of one vision that he wished he had not seen. It disturbed him greatly and he knew it would do the same for his new lover - most probably even more. But it was Rukawa's right to know.

"I saw you being strangled by soldiers," said Hanamichi slowly.

Rukawa looked at the redhead in surprise. "Why?"

"I wish I know." The redhead sighed tiredly, getting up to walk outside the balcony.

Rukawa got up quickly and gripped Hanamichi by the arm as soon as he caught up with the redhead outside the glass doors. "Was there anything else?" Rukawa asked.

"No," the Hanamichi groused, shrugging him off. Rukawa was about to press the redhead for more when something caught the fox-eyed man's attention at the corner of his eyes. Turning around, Rukawa felt a sense of de ja vu when he was seeing an ancient-styled bedroom inside the modern space.

Suddenly Hanamichi was beside him, gaping at the impossible vision in front of their eyes. _He can see it, too? _thought Rukawa, stunned. The brunette opened his mouth to ask but Hanamichi was already walking towards the doors, oblivious to him.

How could that be? Was their bond so strong that both of them were able to see the vision? Or were the gods or some powerful beings playing tricks with them for some yet unknown purpose?

Nevertheless, Rukawa found himself starting to follow Hanamichi's dazed steps.

_**-xx-**_

Yohei and Ling Ling was walking along the streets, scanning the night crowds for tall people, in particular a redhead or a fox-eyed brunette. They went into all the various hang-outs, from pubs to bookstores but there was not sign of Hanamichi or the mysterious man.

_**-xx-**_

Ming Mei sat quietly on the couch, staring at the empty wine glass that was used to finish three quarters of the bottle of vodka which was sitting on the table in front of her. Laying beside her on the couch was a photo of her and Rukawa after his first sold-out concert a few years ago.

The woman sighed as she lay back on the couch and shut her eyes, letting the glass fall from her lax fingers and onto the carpet. A tear can be seen as it made its way through her lashes before slowly sliding down her smooth cheeks.

* * *

The dim morning light filtered through the uncurtained glass doors of the balcony to fall onto a couple spooned together under a long jacket. Rukawa and Hanamichi were fast asleep with the brunette's arm around Hanamichi, holding the redhead from behind to press them together back to chest. For now while they lay safe in each other's arms, reliving their love from their dreams, another battle was waiting for them outside in the real world.

**-tbc**


	7. Chapter 7

Yohei paced the lounge area of the hotel lobby with a worried frown on his face. Mr. Chung, the curator of the museum, watched silently while Ling Ling plucked at the cloth of the arm chair boredly.

"Yohei, I know you are worried but please calm yourself and sit down," Mr. Chung told him.

"How can I calm down? He hasn't been back for a whole night," Yohei groused.

"I still think he's with that other tall Japanese guy," said Ling Ling.

Yohei gave her an annoyed glare. "Ok, so if he is with this guy, he should have called me. I mean, maybe the guy's a psychopath or something."

Ling Ling sighed. "So you think we should call the police?"

Yohei opened his mouth to agree when suddenly he saw Sakuragi walk through the front door of the hotel. The redhead immediately headed towards the reception desk, oblivious to his friend's approach until Yohei caught the redhead's arm in a bruising grip.

"Where have you been?" Yohei demanded.

"Yohei? Uh... I... ," Sakuragi began to stutter, when suddenly Yohei's hand which was holding onto the redhead's arm was forcefully pulled away by someone else.

Yohei looked up at the stranger who released his hand roughly, in surprise. The person towered over Yohei and fixed the shorter man with a warning look from cold blue eyes.

"No, Rukawa," Sakuragi said quickly, "he's my best-friend, Yohei. The one I've been telling you about."

Still, Rukawa's eyes did not waver from Yohei.

Sakuragi turned back to his friend. "Yohei..." he wanted to say when he suddenly saw Ling Ling and Mr. Chung quickly walking up to them. "I'll talk to you later."

"Hanamichi! Where have you been?" Ling Ling asked worriedly, but when she saw Rukawa beside the redhead, the young woman grinned. "I take it you were with your companion here all night?"

Sakuragi blushed. "Urm.. yeah. This is my friend, Rukawa Kaede. He's an... old friend of mine and I went to his place to do some catching up."

"Of course," Ling Ling nodded, her grin growing wider much to Yohei's irritation.

"Hey, aren't you that Japanese conductor from Japan? Yes, I think you are!" the young woman exclaimed before turning to her former teacher, "You have tickets to his weekend's concert, don't you, Mr Chung?"

"Huh? Uh, yes I do," said the curator. He had been staring at Rukawa with concentration and only managed to answer the question when Ling Ling nudged him with her elbow.

"Ling Ling, Yohei, Sakuragi-xiang sheng, Rukawa-xiang sheng. I think I had better be going now. I have something very important to do so if you will please excuse me," the older man apologized. He shook hands with all of them and when it was time to shake Rukawa's hand, he looked at the tall raven-haired man with amazement before walking away hastily.

Ling Ling blinked. "What was that about?"

"Beats me," Yohei shrugged before turning to his best-friend, "You've got some explaining to do, Hanamichi."

"Yeah, I guess I owe you that. We'll go upstairs to talk," the redhead said before turning towards Rukawa, "C'mon."

Together, they walked towards the elevators with Rukawa and Sakuragi at the front and Ling Ling walking beside Yohei. Rukawa and Sakuragi were talking in low whispers and Yohei could've sworn Sakuragi's hand kept on straying towards the other man's as if to carress or just to hold him for a second.

"Told you so," whispered Ling Ling from his side. Yohei only gave her a narrowed look.

* * *

"And what you're telling me is that both of you are reincarnations from the Qin Dynasty era?"

Sakuragi winced mentally, keeping his face composed while while Yohei fixed him an incredulous look. The quartet has gone up to Yohei and Sakuragi's suite and were now silent after the redhead told them of what has happened to him and Rukawa for the past few days. Ling Ling was perched on the arm of the chair Yohei was sitting on while Rukawa sat closely to the redhead on the sofa.

Seeing that Yohei was still in the gaping mode, Ling Ling cleared her throat loudly. "It might be possible, y'know. Sakuragi and Rukawa did explain to us some things from their former lives that is very much similiar from what I have learnt and read from the past civilisation. Scary."

"Don't tell me that you are a believer of reincarnation?" Yohei asked dryly at his former university mate.

"My family believes in it and so do I," Ling Ling said, shrugging. "If it makes sense about what Sakuragi and Rukawa have gone through, why not?" She poked at Yohei on the chest. "And as far as I can remember, you're not the narrow minded-type, Yohei."

Not when it involves my friend, Yohei frowned mentally.

Suddenly, Rukawa spoke up, "I must be going now. I need to take care of a few matters". He stood up as did the redhead who walked him to the door.

"I'll call you later," Rukawa told Sakuragi lowly and the redhead nodded. The dark-haired man was about to leave when he lifted his hand to quickly carress the redhead's cheek before turning away.

Yohei and Ling Ling was too far away to hear what Rukawa was telling Sakuragi but they did see that loving gesture made by the silent man on the now-blushing redhead. Ling Ling tried to surpress a giggle while Yohei groaned. "His dad's gonna kill me."

* * *

After Ling Ling has left, Yohei called room service to have dinner be brought up to their room. A short while later, he and Sakuragi (whose mind was filled with memories of last night's dinner with Rukawa) were sitting in their suite eating their meal when the grating sound of steel and ceramic brought the redhead's attention towards his friend. Yohei was roughly attacking his dinner, munching it with a scowl and the redhead was certain it was not directed at the food.

"Yohei," Sakuragi said but his friend refused to look at him.

"Yohei," Sakuragi tried again, "wanna talk about it?"

Yohei humphed, setting the fork and knife down on the plate with a clatter. "Talk? What is there to talk about? You're convinced that this guy's the one for you just because of a few dreams both of you had the coincidence of sharing?"

"C'mon, Yohei! Don't you always trust me?" Sakuragi pleaded.

"I don't want you to waste your life for some guy who only comes to you because of a few dreams he had! That's not a life to lead if it's based on that!" Yohei snapped.

"We truly care for each other!" the redhead said angrily.

"Because of the past," Yohei reminded him, "And what will happen when the time comes where both of you will realise that each of you is leading a different life right now? That the feelings that you both have is just based from a _dream _of the_ past_. What will happen to your feelings then?"

Sakuragi looked away for a moment, seemingly to gather his thoughts before meeting Yohei's eyes with a gentle smile Yohei had never seen before in his brash, long-time friend. "Then let me revel in those feelings until that time comes. Let me relive my dream until the end, okay, Yohei?"

Yohei stared at the redhead before his shoulders slumped in defeat. The shorter man sighed. "All right. It's your call. Just promise me one thing, though."

Sakuragi nodded, waiting for Yohei to speak again. "If that time comes, you know who to turn to," the brunette said.

Sakuragi smiled broadly before he slapped his friend at the back, making Yohei lurch forward with a choke.

"You can trust the tensai, my friend," the redhead said heartily.

"Idiot," the brunette groused.

Under normal circumstances, Sakuragi would have hit Yohei for that insult but instead he went back eating his dinner with his cheer back on his face.

Then Yohei spoke up in a gloomy tone, "You're dad's gonna be disappointed though. He was hoping for some grandchildren. No chance of that happening if you're gonna stick with a man now."

Sakuragi nearly choked on his food before he blushed bright red at that last comment.

* * *

Rukawa was about to unlock the door to the pent-house when it was suddenly flung open. Standing there in front of him was Ming Mei with circles under her eyes, her expression looking worn and haggard. The young woman suddenly turned around to walk into the living room without a word, and after a moment's hesitation Rukawa followed her silently from behind.

Ming Mei sat herself on the couch while Rukawa remained standing as he leaned his body against a nearby wall, a distance away from his former lover.

"The red-haired man," Ming Mei began.

Rukawa met the young woman's eyes without betraying his surprise as she continued, "The old woman said that he was waiting for you. And that I should stay away from you because you're both to be together again."

She laughed nervously. "That's some joke, huh, Kaede?"

"It's no joke," Rukawa said lowly.

Ming Mei smiled a little but her tone was dangerous, "So I assume you spent the night with him?"

"Yes."

Ming Mei lifted her head up to glare at Rukawa. "That's crazy! I don't believe in this stupid superstitious thing! How can you?"

"Because it is true," Rukawa replied firmly, "I have met him and I'm not leaving him." And then pushing away from the wall, Rukawa bowed low and said softly, "I love you but I... I'm sorry..."

Ming Mei's beautiful eyes glittered in fury. "Damn you! Damn you!" she screamed, making Rukawa mentally grimace. When she started crying, hugging herself in despair, Rukawa could only watch with a feeling of guilt and remorse.

"Ming Mei..." Rukawa began but the woman suddenly jumped up from the couch and ran up to Rukawa, clutching at him as she sobbed brokenly against his chest. Rukawa pressed himself back against the wall as Ming Mei tried to hold onto him more closely, the man's body stiff and his arms laying still on his side.

Ming Mei lifted her head up to look at Rukawa through wet lashes, sadly asking, "You won't touch me anymore? Just after a night with him?"

When Rukawa did not answer, she continued to weep and he only let her hold him until she has cried all her tears dry.

**-tbc**


	8. Chapter 8

Ming Mei walked along the streets where she and Rukawa have walked together hand in hand not too long ago. If she had known that the meeting with the palm reader would result in Rukawa leaving her, she never would've dragged him there.

When Ming Mei saw what she had come for, she stopped.

The old woman sitting behind the table lifted her up head when she heard the motion in front of her. "Good afternoon. Do you want your palm read?" she asked with a smile.

"No," Ming Mei said stiffly, "I just want to know what else you know about my... friend."

The woman's smile changed from cheer to sadness as a feeling of pity rose for this young woman who has to suffer because of incidents from the past. With a slow motion of her hand she said, "Please won't you sit down?"

* * *

"Are you sure this is the place she wants us to meet?" Sakuragi asked again. The wind from the sea was particularly cold that season and the redhead tugged his coat tighter. Rukawa was leaning against the rail beside him, looking out to the sea while Sakuragi kept a look out for a woman who could look like a spurned lover. For fifteen minutes, they they have been waiting for Ming Mei at a sightseeing area but they were too nervous and too wound up to take a seat on one of the benches available for visitors.

Rukawa rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. Now stop fidgeting."

Sakuragi stopped his fingers from tugging his collar for the eighth time that minute and scowled. "I'm not fidgeting."

"Yes, you are," Rukawa said.

"Well, it's this damn shirt! It itches!" Sakuragi complained, scratching at his back of his neck.

Rukawa turned to face the redhead and tugged at the back of the man's collar to take a look to see a stiff curl of string sticking out from the shirt's tag. With a quick jerk, the brunette pulled the string out before helping the redhead adjust the collar properly.

"Um... Kaede... what do you think she'll say?" Sakuragi asked his dark-haired lover nervously.

"I don't know," the man replied.

"Before, there was only the two of us," Sakuragi murmured, "Now there's another." Rukawa kept himself silent as he continued to fix the stubborn collar.

Then from over Rukawa's shoulder, Sakuragi saw a woman walking towards them, her expression dark as she watched Rukawa standing close to him.

"Kaede," Sakuragi whispered. The fox-eyed man turned around and saw his former lover approaching them.

"Is it..." the redhead started to ask. Rukawa nodded his head before he walked towards the woman, giving her a nod and a small awkward smile. Ming Mei's eyes softened when she looked at him and as both of them walked towards Hanamichi, her eyes turned cold again.

"Ming Mei, this is Sakuragi Hanamichi. Hanamichi, Ming Mei," Rukawa said introducing the pair to one another.

Sakuragi bowed. "I'm glad to finally meet you."

Out of politeness, Ming Mei returned the bow but her face was still taut with anger. "I went to see the palm reader again, Kaede," Ming Mei told Rukawa. The brunette looked at her with a hint of surprise and curiosity. "She told me not to meddle in a love like yours. To let you pass as if both of you are ghosts," she continued. She laughed bitterly. "But if you were ghosts you wouldn't be here with me, right?"

There were more uneasy silence until the redhead spoke hesitantly, "In my dream, he told me that he'd rather us both be flesh and blood than spirits. If we were spirits, all of us wouldn't be facing this right now." Ming Mei suddenly looked at Hanamichi and for his part Sakuragi held her gaze with eyes that were filled with emotion. "I am sorry."

Ming Mei struggled not to cry. She has promised herself not to embarrass herself in front of them! Looking at Rukawa, he has turned his head away to look at the distant horizon, the wind from the sea ruffling his black hair to play about his handsome face.

Taking a deep breath she said slowly, "If you still insist in believing these dreams of the past, then that means I have no part in your new life as much as I had in your former life."

With another hard look at the two men she said, "I'm giving you clear way." And with that she walked away.

The two men wordlessly watched her as she walked away from them, before the young woman suddenly turned around. "Sakuragi-san," she said, loud enough for the couple to hear, "You lived centuries ago with Kaede. The palm reader also said that you died for him then. But now you are a modern man. Would you do the same for him again?"

Before they could recover from their surprise, she was gone.

"We've got to go see this palm reader," was the first thing Sakuragi said.

* * *

"Good afternoon, madam."

The old woman lifted her head and smiled when she recognised the voice, "Ah, it's you. So, have you found your lover yet?" Beside Rukawa, Sakuragi's face turned red in embarrassment.

"Yes," Rukawa said, unaffected, "Sakuragi Hanamichi. He is here."

"Well then, let me feel his hand," the old woman said motioning to the seat in front of her. Sakuragi hesitantly took a seat and allowed her to take his outstretched hand.

"A Qin Dynasty man as well," she said grinning, "Did you have the same name before?"

Sakuragi scratched his head with his free hand. "I don't think so. If we truly were from China then we'd have Chinese names instead of Japanese."

The old woman laughed. "Yes, of course. If it were the same then it would be perfect."

Rukawa said to her, "The lady I was with the first time said that she came to see you again and you told her that Sakuragi died for me. What happened?"

She let Sakuragi's hand go and leaned back. "From my earlier reading, you died a sad death. I don't know what happened but I know that to have your lover come back to you now means that he died the same time as well. I sense strong love from you both so I believe that Sakuragi xiang-sheng died just to follow you."

The two men looked at each other before Rukawa thanked the old woman for her reading. Telling the redhead to walk ahead, he fished out a few dollar notes and handed it over to the old woman.

Before Rukawa could take his hand away, the palm reader made a grasp for it, surprising him.

"Don't blame yourself for her sorrow. Although she does not believe in reincarnations and such, she is clever enough to know that you have loved her once," she advised him.

Rukawa looked at her before saying slowly, "I feel that I have cheated her for all the 8 years we've been together."

"You have not cheated. You just didn't know. 8 years is what have been allotted for both of you and this must be cherished as you move on."

Hearing those words Rukawa felt better. He squeezed the wrinkled hands lightly and said, "Thank you."

* * *

Yohei looked at the photograph in his hand with an expression of disbelief.

"It looks exactly like him," Mr. Chen told him. Ling Ling hovered behind her old friend, also surprised by the fact.

"Just like what Rukawa told us," Ling Ling whispered, slightly shivering from a sudden chill, "Man, this dream thing is getting spooky."

Without a word Yohei stood up and walked towards the bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Ling Ling asked.

"I need to make a call," he replied.

**-tbc**


	9. Chapter 9

Sakuragi and Rukawa reached the door to the redhead's hotel room past 9 o'clock that night. When they got in, Yohei, Ling Ling and Mr Chung, the curator, was inside waiting for them.

"Good evening," Sakuragi said, giving the small gathering a curious look, "What's going on?"

"I think you both should sit down first," Yohei said, motioning for them to take a seat.

Puzzled, Sakuragi was about to open his mouth again but changed his mind when he saw the serious expression on their faces. He took a seat opposite Yohei, Rukawa beside him with Ling Ling and Mr Chung already taking up the sofa to their right.

"What the matter?" Sakuragi asked again.

"It's this," Yohei said handing over a photograph to the Rukawa, "Looks familiar?"

Sakuragi heard Rukawa take a soft but sharp intake of breath when the raven-haired conductor looked at the picture in his hand. The redhead took a look for himself and saw that it was a picture of a statue, like the ones they saw at that Terracotta exhibition, with an armour and hairstyle like the others. _What's the big deal?_ thought Sakuragi but upon closer inspection of the statue's face, his eyes went wide. It looked like-

"Rukawa! It's you!" Hanamichi gasped.

"We found it at Shaanxi. I cannot explain how the statue managed to resurface after all those years. The scientists thought that it was caused by an earth tremor," began Mr Chung, "The authorities hushed up the incident to avoid any superstitious worry as most chinese people wont to do. I was placed in charge of restoring the statue there and I took the photo for my own records."

"The statue that I saw in my mind was intact," Rukawa cut in, "why did it need restoration?"

"There were some cracks on it," said the curator, "We built a hut near the sea while my people do their work. It will be shipped here to the museum once they are done."

"How come it was in the sea to begin with. I mean all the statues were found in the tombs, right?" said Sakuragi.

"My friends and I accidentally dropped it there," replied Mr Chung.

"Excuse me?"

"26 years ago I was in the Archeological Unit. During our time-off my friend and I would go off on our own excavation. Our belief was that countless treasures are still buried in China's earth and that we will be one of the people who will find them. One night we did find one of them. It was long before the Qin's terracotta army were found..."

* * *

_~flashback~_

_Li Chung and his two friends, Wang Han and Chen, stepped back to admire the lying statue, still half covered by the earth made wet by the drizzling rain. They have never seen anything like it before and they knew that it was invaluable._

_The three dug it up and carefully carried the heavy statue out of the pit and onto higher ground before the rain could submerge it. Carefully, but with full of excitement, they brushed the mud off of the statue to get a better look of their find beneath the yellow light of the gas lamp._

_Suddenly Wang Han's fingers brushed upon something smoother than the statue's stone surface. Bringing his lamp closer, the young man found a dagger imbedded at the hip of the statue._

* * *

Mr Chung placed a rectangular box on top of the table and opened it. Taking the item out he asked Rukawa, "Rukawa xien-sheng, have you seen this dagger before?"

Rukawa took the dagger out of Mr Chung's hands and inspected it closely, turning it around from side to side. The blade has gone blunt and dark with age but he could imagine that it was once a beautiful weapon with the ivory hilt and the red gem embedded in it.

Sakuragi suddenly exclaimed, "Hey! I've seen a dagger like that before. In one of my dreams. Only that the stone was white jade, not red."

Mr Chung looked at the redhead in surprise. "Actually, it was originally white jade and the scientists confirmed that it was stained permanently with blood."

Taking the dagger from Rukawa and placing it back in its box he continued his story, "The three of us towed the statue along the river of Shaanxi with a tug boat by using a make shift raft. We weren't expecting anything to happen when suddenly Wang Han went bezerk. He was suddenly a man being possessed, wanting the dagger for himself..."

* * *

_~flashback~_

_Li Chung and Chen looked out of their boat in surprise. There was Wang Han, sitting on the statue which was tied to a raft, furiously chipping at the stone surface to free the dagger out of the statue's hip._

_"Wang Han! What are you doing?" demanded Li Chung._

_"Stay here!" Chen told Li Chung and before Li Chung could stop him Chen jumped out of the boat and into the rain to swim towards the raft. Upon reaching it, Chen climbed up and grabbed Wang Han by the collar._

_"What's the matter with you?" yelled Chen._

_"Let go! It's mine!" growled Wang Han. They both struggled and suddenly the raft tipped and they fell down into the fast flowing river._

_"Chen! Wang Han!" Chung screamed. He began searching wildly for any signs of his friends, when suddenly a tremendous vibration rocked the boat and he was thrown off his feet. There was a loud sound of wood and metal grating together and the boat jarred again. Chung quickly got onto his feet and ran to the helm of the boat and saw that they have crashed into a cruise boat. Quickly, he took control of the wheel and steered their boat away from the other._

_The boat passed by them and he could vaguely see through the pouring rain the cruise boat 'Silk' and the people aboard yelling at him angrily. Once he was sure their boat would not steer into any more obstacles he ran back out and was horrified to see that the raft was gone, together with the statue. His two friends were no where to be seen._

* * *

"Hanamichi, I called your father just now," Yohei spoke up.

Sakuragi looked at his best friend in surprise. "Why?"

"I remembered that he once told me you were born in Shaanxi when they were on a trip there with their friends. Your mother bore you prematurely when they were on that nightly cruise. I asked him and he told me that their ship was called 'Silk'."

It was silent before Yohei spoke again. "The morning you were born he held onto you and brought you outside the cabin. There he saw a couple who was standing beside the river, also holding a new-born baby. The couple held up their baby to him and waved and without realising it, he did the same with you."

"I think they were my parents and the baby was me," Rukawa said.

All heads turned to the tall brunette as Rukawa continued, "My parents told me that I was born beside the river when they were touring the country side. My parents were avid tourists and they weren't expecting that I would come out that early. A few weeks later we were on a plane back to Japan."

Sakuragi took Rukawa's hand in his grasp and held it tight.

_Fate._

* * *

Sakuragi sat in the lobby of the apartment building, flipping through a magazine he picked at random. Feeling eyes on him, he turned around to see Ming Mei looking at him blankly.

Sakuragi stood up and after a moment of silence between the two, the redhead bowed before giving her a smile. The woman narrowed her eyes and turned around to walk quickly towards the elevators to reach the pent-house where Rukawa has gone to.

As she has expected, Rukawa was inside the pent-house, quickly packing up all of his clothes into a brown carry-on. Suddenly remembering his music notes he turned around to get them and was suddenly face-to-face with Ming Mei who was standing under the threshold of their room with a sad but resigned expression on her face.

The woman took off her coat and her shoes before she climbed onto the bed to pull the still-open bag towards her.

"I always pack for you when you have to go off somewhere. Let me," she said.

Rukawa stepped back and quietly leaned against the wall as she expertly packed up all his clothes, toiletries and music notes neatly in the carry-on. When she was done she pushed the bag back towards him and said quietly, "Now its your job to close it."

Her ex-lover bowed in gratitude and reached out to zip the carry-on shut with both hands. The zipping sound reverberated in the quiet room, making Ming Mei want to cry but she determinedly fought back her tears. Once Rukawa was done, he picked up his luggage and looked at her.

"Ming Mei, you've been everything to me these eight years," he began.

The woman looked up at him with glassy eyes full of love and anguish and it made what Rukawa had to say the more difficult.

"There was no Hanamichi. Those 8 years weren't a lie," Rukawa continued.

"It wasn't just a dream?" Ming Mei asked with a trembling voice, a drop of tear slipping past her cheek.

"No, it wasn't a dream," he replied.

Ming Mei finally let her tears flow free. "I wish it was so it wouldn't hurt this much!"

Rukawa flinched but allowed Ming Mei to continue crying until she spoke again, "Embrace me one last time?"

She slowly lifted herself up on her knees and leaned towards the man she loves who was standing motionless beside the bed. "Please," she softly pleaded.

Rukawa slowly put his bag down and hugged her tight. A few minutes later, he eased his hold but she did not let go. Instead Ming Mei held on tighter before her lips quickly found their way towards his in a feverish manner.

Through her tears Ming Mei suddenly felt a small measure of hope as she felt her body being lowered down onto the bed, her mouth still working on Rukawa's gentle lips.

Then she was alone.

"Goodbye, Ming Mei."

She sobbed as she opened her teary eyes to see Rukawa stepping out of the room with the bag in hand.

* * *

After he managed to bully he concierge into lending him a pass, the Sakuragi found himself pacing the short corridor restlessly, torn between wanting to knock the door to Rukawa's pent-house and going back downstairs to the lobby to wait for him there. When the door opened and Rukawa stepped out, the readhead gave a small sigh of relief.

Sakuragi walked towards his lover and without a word they went towards the elevators to get back down to the lobby when suddenly a voice called out, "Kaede..."

The two turned around and to their horror, there was Ming Mei was leaning against the threshold of the door. The front of her white blouse was covered in blood.

"Kaede..." she called again, slowly stepping forward with her arms open to her love.

Snapping himself out of his shock, Rukawa suddenly moved, catching the woman in his arms before she could fall to the floor in a crumpled heap.

"Ming Mei! What did you do?" the brunette cried.

"Kaede..." the young woman whimpered, clinging onto him, her tears still falling as the blood flowed out of her body.

When Sakuragi reached them, Rukawa handed Ming Mei to him to hold. "I'm going to call for help!" the fox-eyed man said, standing up, "Stay here and watch her!"

"I will!" the redhead obeyed, holding onto Ming Mei's bloody hands which was clutching at his jacket. Rukawa ran back inside the pent-house and immediately picked up the phone on the table near the entrance, leaving the door ajar.

"Please, hold on!" pleaded Sakuragi enveloping Ming Mei's small hands in his big ones.

The young woman gazed at the redhead through her tears and whispered to him, "8 years or 2,000 years, it's still love."

Then her eyes fluttered shut.

Sakuragi looked up at Rukawa through the doorway as the dark-haired man held the phone to his ears. When Rukawa turned towards the redhead, the brunette saw the despair on his lover's face and he instantly knew that Ming Mei was no more.

* * *

_**A****/N: Suice, bad**_


	10. Chapter 10

It was nearly sunset when Sakuragi and Rukawa walked back from the police station towards Rukawa's old apartment. The street burnished with a dark golden colour, was unusually quiet. Even the birds were silent.

"It was our dream that destroyed her," Sakuragi spoke up. He turned towards the young man beside him, "What do we do now?"

Rukawa kept walking in silence.

* * *

"When you died in the past, I followed you to death. When you were born, I followed you back to life."

Sakuragi's hushed voice filled the silence in the empty room of the apartment as he sat with Rukawa on the floor. The redhead's back was leaning against Rukawa's chest as the brunette's chin rested on his shoulder. Sakuragi caressed Rukawa's fingers which was clasped on his front as he mused out loud, "Do you think that babies could 'see' on their first day of life?"

Rukawa shrugged.

"If babies can see, then we saw each other on our first day," Sakuragi mused. "I am the only child in my family. I dream of having lots of kids."

"So do I," said Rukawa.

_"I'm glad that at least we have no children," said the dark-haired man, his voice muffled by his lover's neck._

"But back then, we didn't want children," Sakuragi told him, remembering.

_The redhead stroked his lover's unbound long black hair as he spoke, "If we had a son, he had to fight for the Emperor or build The Wall or his own tomb. If we had a daughter her job is to bury her man."_

_The dark-haired man closed his eyes as he remembered the people he had killed by orders of the Emperor. The way they looked at him before they died made his blood run cold. It was as if they were cursing him as they pleaded for mercy._

"We were like before, eating and drinking after making love," Sakuragi continued, "...only one day you were executed..."

_The redhead walked back towards his home after closing up the inn that night. He tended the house as usual. Looking at him, no-one would've guessed on what he was about to do that night._

_He lit up the candles and put new sheets on the bed before he went to clean himself. He shed off his three layers of clothing, revealing his broad back and standing bare in the room, not feeling the chill of the night. Alone without his lover._

_Before him were a white linen, a bucket of water, a comb, new restraints to tie up his hair, the new dagger his lover had bought for him, a mirror and a set of fresh clothes._

_The redhead dipped the white linen in the water and proceeded to wash himself, first washing his neck where his lover loved to kiss him. After he was done he put on his clothes, combed his hair and tied them, using the mirror to make sure he looked presentable. Then, he stood by the window and waited._

_Four of his lover's friends brought the body back. They were special soldiers - like his lover - put in charge of the craftsmen who had come from six different kingdoms._

_The craftsmen were press-ganged by the Qin Emperor to build his tomb. Fearing that the craftsmen might divulge the secrets of the tomb, he had them executed one by one. When feeling paranoid, the emperor would then have any of the soldiers who knew about the location of tomb to be killed as well._

_The redhead had the body brought into the house. While the four soldiers waited outside, he washed his lover's body and put some clean clothes on him. Later, the soldiers carried the body back outside near the river where the redhead cut the body up into pieces and mixed them with clay. He moulded the clay into his lover's likeness and fired it in a makeshift burner to harden the mould._

_After the statue was hardened, the three soldiers carried it out of the fire to lay it on the ground in front of the redhead before they themselves sat behind the young man in solemn silence. The light from the torches burned in the night, highlighting the curves and angles of the statue and making the red locks of the man sitting in front of them shine like the reddest silk, awing the soldiers for a moment. If there was a reason why anyone would be attracted to the redhead, it was because of his beautiful red hair but they have also heard from their late friend-in-arms speak of beauty in the redhead's soul._

_The redhead sat still as his eyes rested on the statue in front of him, his hands clasped on his lap. Then he bowed in a final show of respect and together the three soldiers followed suit. As a sign of modesty, the soldiers kept their heads down as the redhead straightened himself again before tugging the front of his clothes open to baring his neck. Then he unwrapped the dagger beside him from its silk wrap and picked it up. The dagger's blade glinted in the firelight and its ivory hilt seemed to glow in the night. He brought the dagger up and slowly brought the sharp edge to cut across his neck - the place where his lover loved to kiss him. The blood flowed thickly from his throat, down his neck, seeping under his clothes across his chest and managing to flow along his hand which was still holding the tool which did the deed. The dagger was soon covered in blood as he laid his body against the statue of his lover, pressing his cheek to the stone's one. He continued to embrace the statue as his blood ebbed out and dried, covering them both._

Sakuragi has gently broken himself out of Rukawa's embrace as he told the story and he was now leaning on his back against the wall beside the other man, their shoulders barely touching. "We would've been a pair of beautiful spirits together," said Sakuragi.

"I don't want to be a beautiful spirit," said Rukawa in a hard voice, "I like flesh and blood."

Sakuragi closed his eyes and sighed. "We are flesh and blood. And Ming Mei..."

Rukawa closed his eyes and turned his head away.

"If we hadn't lived our former lives, you'd still be with her, right?" asked Sakuragi.

"Yes," Rukawa reluctantly answered.

Sakuragi took a deep breath as he rubbed his face with his hands, knowing that guilt was eating Rukawa up as viciously as it was eating him.

"The past was like a dream," the redhead said sadly, "The present is a nightmare". He sighed again and stood up. He knew which direction their lives will have to take next. Away from each other.

Away from the pain.

* * *

It was already midnight as the two stood under the awning of the building. It was raining and the wind blew random drops of water on them as they hugged their coats tighter around their body.

They looked at each other for a moment before Rukawa asked, "Will we see each other again?"

"Maybe," Sakuragi replied. "If I do see you in a concert or anywhere from afar, I know that we've shared a deep love," he said with a sad smile.

Rukawa's blue eyes gazed deeply into his brown ones. "Yes, a deep love."

Then Sakuragi stepped away from him and into the rain. Rukawa's eyes followed the redhead's retreating form when it suddenly stopped and before he realised it they were both running towards each other, holding onto the other tightly as they kissed each other in deperation. After a moment, they broke off and looked deeply into each other's eyes, their faces coursed with rain and tears. For the first time in his adult life, Rukawa cried.

Reluctantly they parted and Rukawa watched in sorrow as Sakuragi climbed inside a taxi and left. The raven-haired man's eyes slid shut as he tilted his face to the dark sky, letting the rain mix with his salty tears.

Sakuragi leaned back on the taxi's seat and rubbed at his wet eyes. Already he was feeling empty inside.

_We'll be a pair of beautiful spirits..._

**The End**

* * *

_**A/N: The movie stopped here but this is the world of fanfictin so there will be an epilogue ... of sorts :)**_


	11. Epilogue

_**Japan**_

Rukawa sipped on his drink as he silently listened to one of his admirers go on and on about how wonderful his latest composition was. As soon as the person stopped talking, the tall conductor/ music composer bowed his head in gratitude and gave a short 'arigato' before walking away, intending to hide from any more of his fans. Ming Mei would've handled them better than he did... or maybe Hanamichi...

Rukawa sighed as he reached the balcony of the building. It has been a year since he last saw him. Once he thought he saw the redhead sitting in a cafe but when he entered to look it was just a diner with red-dyed hair which in his opinion looked awful.  
He would like to think that Hanamichi was listening to his latest piece of music or better yet went to one of his concerts. It was their music that he was playing. His, Hanamichi's... and a little bit of Ming Mei's. Critics said that the composition was full of sorrowful melodies and gloriously haunting. When the media asked what had inspired him, he just replied simply "from a dream".

The cool night wind blew across his face, ruffling his already ruffled hair about. Grooming himself was never his main priority. Sleeping, composing and eating were. And loving?  
Rukawa thought that it was not possible anymore after having lost the only two loves of his life.

Hearing low voices and shuffling made the raven-haired man realise that he was not alone outside the long, wide balcony. He turned and saw a couple who were partly hidden in the shadows at the far end, the man's face obscured by the darkness whereas the young woman he could just make out by the soft light which spilled from inside the pent-house through the french glass doors. She was pretty with light brown hair, talking and smiling at her partner. Maybe a pair of lovers, thought Rukawa, placing his wine glass on the wide rail of the balcony before continuing to look out into the night where he could see the lights from the faraway buildings and cars, shining in the dark like stars in the sky.

"Rukawa-san?"

He turned around with a small sigh knowing that it was one of his fans as soon as he heard the timidness and adoration in her voice.

"My name is Akagi Haruko and I really love your music. C-Can I have you autograph please?" she said looking up at him through shy green eyes. He obliged by taking the cocktail napkin from her hand and signed it quickly, handing it back to her when suddenly he heard her partner approach. He looked up and his fox-eyes widened in surprise.

"Rukawa," Hanamichi said, his brown eyes also showing startlement.

"Hana... Sakuragi," Rukawa said.

The young woman looked at the pair in surprise. "Oh! You two know each other?" she asked, smiling.

"Yes, we met a long ago," Hanamichi replied, giving a soft smile towards Rukawa, making the man's heart skip a beat.

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed, winding her arm around the redhead's, "You must tell me about it."

Rukawa's eyes narrowed when he saw the familiar hold Haruko has on the redhead. Hanamichi only chuckled at the woman's request and told her, "Maybe next time."  
Haruko pouted.  
Rukawa steamed.

* * *

Rukawa endured the party as long as he could before he left after saying his thanks to his friends who had graciously invited him even knowing that he was not one to socialise. Listening long words of praises from the endless stream of admirers was another thing but to stand there and watch Hanamichi with the pretty girl by his side was another. The brunette had hoped to talk with the redhead to see if Hanamichi at least still felt a little something for him after all this time but with his admirers pulling him here and there and Hanamichi's date dragging the redhead to meet with different people one after another, it was impossible.

Rukawa was waiting impatiently for the valet to bring his car around when a female voice called out to him from behind, "Rukawa-san, are you leaving as well?"

Rukawa turned around to see Haruko hand-in-hand with Hanamichi walking down the posh hotel steps towards him.

"Aa," the brunette replied watching them approach. Suddenly a string of musical beeps came from the young woman's purse. Opening the purse she took out a handphone, bowing in apology.  
"Please excuse me," she politely said, walking away from Hanamichi and Rukawa to answer her call.

"I've heard your latest music. It was beautiful."

Rukawa turned his head to look at Hanamichi in surprise. It was a praise that the fox-eyed man has heard countless of times but one which came from Hanamichi's lips was priceless.

"Thank you. What had inspired me was the time of us together," Rukawa said looking closely at the redhead. Maybe this time I can find out how he really feels about me... Rukawa thought.

When the redhead lifted his brown eyes to him, Rukawa's breath hitched. The brunette knew Hanamichi's eyes were expressive, as expressive as the person himself and what Rukawa saw in those eyes was untampered emotion that spoke volumes.

There was silence from both of them for a while before Rukawa made himself speak, "Haruko. She's your girlfriend?"

"Haruko?" Hanamichi said in pure puzzlement, "No, she's Yohei's fiancee - you remember Yohei, right? He was kinda busy tonight so I offered to be her date to this party."

It was at that moment that Haruko appeared next to them with a smile. "Gomen nasai," she apologised again before turning towards the redhead, "That was Yohei. Are we ready to go now?"  
The valet appeared with Hanamichi's car keys and the redhead nodded, "Yeah, we need to get home now. It's late."

Hanamichi extended his hand towards Rukawa and said, "It's been great seeing you again, Rukawa. Maybe we can meet again soon."

Rukawa shook his hand and their fingers seem to linger with one another before they broke away.  
"Maybe," Rukawa replied.

Then he stepped back as he watched Hanamichi walk away for the second time in his life.

* * *

It was already 8 o'clock in the morning when Yohei woke up. He had spent the whole night working on a business proposal and was thankful that he managed to finish it so that he could still go out with Haruko and Hanamichi on the picnic they planned to have this afternoon.

Maybe Haruko can find a friend for Hanamichi and bring her to the picnic as well, thought Yohei as he headed to the bathroom for a refreshing shower.  
After a shower, a shave and clean clothes, the young man drove off towards Hanamichi's apartment with the proposal file in hand so that Hanamichi could take a look at it as they take their usual weekend breakfast at Danny's.

Thirty minutes later, Yohei stood outside Hanamichi's apartment door and pressed the bell button thrice and then three more times, expecting to have Hanamichi berate him again for playing with the bell when the redhead opens the door. What he did not expect was to see a tall dark-haired man with familiar blue fox eyes instead looking down at him cooly.

"R-Rukawa Kaede? What are you doing here?" Yohei asked in amazement.

Rukawa arched an eyebrow as if the shorter young man had half a brain.  
"I thought it is plainfully obvious," he said boredly. He was using a t-shirt a bit too big for his lean frame that had the words 'The Tensai' printed on the front in big bold letters and his black throusers looked rumpled.

"I.. uh...," Yohei stammered before he took a deep breath and gathered himself, "Is Hanamichi in? I want to talk to him."

Rukawa opened the door wide to let the shorter brunette in when Hanamichi walked out in a bathrobe with his hair wet.

"Yohei! Ohayo!" the redhead greeted him before turning towards Rukawa, "You can use the bathroom now."

When Rukawa left, Yohei asked calmy, "Where did you meet him?"

"At last night's party," Hanamichi said toweling his hair pretending non-chalance as he took a seat on a chair. Yohei sat down on another chair and pressed on, "How?"

"I was with Haruko, talking. She was trying to make me go on this date with one of her friends when she saw Rukawa. I didn't know it was him, until she talked to him," Hanamichi stopped as he leaned back on the chair. "I was shocked, y'know," he continued, "I dreamed of meeting him again ... to find out if my feelings for him has changed. I didn't think they did because I suddenly got all tongue-tied and flustered that I couldn't think right. After that I never had a chance to talk to him at the party because he's always with other people. When Haruko and I were about to leave I couldn't find him to say goodbye but we met again downstairs when he was waiting for his car."

The redhead smiled. "Do you believe he thought Haruko was my girlfriend? Heh, well, he did. At that moment I felt like I wanna jump him and tell him how much I still care for him when Haruko came back after you've called."

~flashback~

_Rukawa watched with clenched fists as Hanamichi walked away from him with Haruko towards the car. As Hanamichi was about to enter the driver's seat, he called out, "Hanamichi!"_

_Hanamichi lifted his head in surprise as Rukawa strode towards the redhead with an intent expression on his face. Finally, reaching him he pulled Hanamichi forward for a short but forceful kiss._

_"Come with me," he demanded, fully realising that the words he has spoken were the exact ones he had used the first time he met Hanamichi._

_The redhead blinked stupidly. Then he looked at Rukawa and said seriously, "No."_

_Rukawa dropped his hand from the redhead's arm and stepped back, his voice cold, "Souka."_

_As Rukawa was about to turn away, a hand grabbed the brunette's arm and the redhead said, "I don't think you do. I meant that I'm not gonna come with you. You're gonna come with me to my apartment. At least this time I'll know for sure that we'll have a bed to sleep on."_

_Rukawa looked at the madly grinning redhead in surprise. His lips twitched in a small smile before he suddenly pulled the redhead into a fierce embrace._

~end flashback~

"And so here he is," Yohei concluded.

Hanamichi blushed and nodded. Then Yohei carefully asked, "Are you sure both of you are okay with this? I mean... about Ming Mei?"

"I... I guess, we needed some time away from each other to heal the pain," Hanamichi said, "I still feel guilty about Ming Mei's death but it has kinda... faded away. All I can think about is him now."

Yohei let out his breath slowly and leaned forward to hold his friend's hand. "I'm happy for you, that's all I can say. Hey, I need to go out and get some breakfast. Since you have company I'll go and call Haruko to join me."  
Then he stood up and asked, "Will you two be coming to the picnic this afternoon?"

"We'll try," replied Hanamichi as he walked Yohei to the door.

"Say goodbye to Rukawa for me, okay? Ja," said Yohei giving a wave.

"Ja." Hanamichi gave a wave back before closing the door.

Yohei was about to enter the elevator when he remembered that he still has the proposal file in his hand. Walking back towards Hanamichi's door, he lifted his hand to press the bell when suddenly he heard an angry voice coming from inside, "What do you mean I can't cook to save my life? I don't see you doing any better!"

A low response from the other person made the redhead demand in a loud voice, "Oh yeah? Like what?"

There was silence and Yohei was afraid that something bad has happened. Pressing his ears to the door he listened before he heard a short giggle from the redhead. And then a moan.

Yohei sweatdropped.

Stepping away from the door he blushed and walked quickly away. I do not want to hear any more, he decided.

When the elevator door closed and started to move down, he thought ruefully, If they carry on arguing like that all the time it's a wonder if they can stay together for more than a year. He then shook his head in amusement, taking back his doubts.

They have loved each for more than 2000 years. What's a few more?

_**-END**_

* * *

_**A/N: I am so so sorry for the lateness! I lost my drive containing my fics and after searching high and low, I thought, that's it, my fics are lost forever, but just today I just realised that people are still reading them from somewhere by the present requests for my lemons (snicker) and after doing a search - ta-da!- apparently, geocities has a mirror site still holding my old stuff and -yay!- my fics are saved! So for anyone wanting to read my old fics, go here: . . I might sooner or later post them here when I have the time to edit the mistakes and smoothen out the wrinkles of oh-so-long-ago.  
**_


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